Previous PDP profiles
Brian,
Operations Professional Development Program
What excited you about Abbott's Professional Development Program?
The opportunity to experience different positions in different divisions
within Abbott was the main reason I wanted to be in the Professional
Development Program (PDP). I knew I was interested in Medical Devices but I
also wanted to experience other areas in the healthcare industry. With the PDP
I am able to experience other areas while leaving opportunities open to follow
a career path in Medical Devices.
Describe a project or role you have held during your rotations so far.
My first rotation was with Abbott Vascular (AV) in Temecula, CA. I was a
Manufacturing Engineer in AV for the Xience V product line. In this position I
was responsible for daily support of the manufacturing line and ensuring that
equipment was operating properly, documented practices were being followed,
investigating production issues, and continually improving the manufacturing
processes. I had an opportunity to make an impact and do meaningful work while
also learning about more about AV, careers in Engineering, and my technical
abilities.
How do you think Abbott's Professional Development Program will help you
accomplish your long-range career goals?
I think having different experiences will give me an immediate advantage
when I'm looking for my first position after the PDP because I will have a
better understanding of what type of career I would like to pursue.
Additionally, having exposure to various functional groups and understanding
how they work together to achieve goals will give me a greater perspective and
help me to be a more effective team member. I also believe that having exposure
to various management styles will help me become a more effective leader at
some point of my career path. These are just a few of the specific experiences
that will help me achieve my career goals.
Dave,
Management Development Program
What excited you about Abbott's Professional Development Program?
When evaluating the Management Development Program (MDP) as a business
school student, three things stood out: the breadth of quality experiences, the
flexibility to take on challenging assignments that fit my career interests and
most importantly, the people. I was looking to transition from an engineering
and manufacturing background to a more commercially-focused career. The MDP,
through its three one-year rotations, has allowed me to take on three diverse
roles in three different businesses to facilitate this transition. Most
importantly, I continue to be very impressed with current and former program
members who are very passionate about their past experiences as well as future
opportunities at Abbott.
Describe a project or role you have held during your rotations so far.
My first assignment was in Abbott Nutrition Supply Chain supporting
international product launches. This role allowed me to leverage my background
in vitamin manufacturing along with my more recently developed skills and
experiences from business school in order to have an immediate impact. I worked
closely with the global marketing team and affiliates in over 30 countries to
determine the global strategy as well as the specific needs of the local
markets. As these needs came into focus, I worked with the plants and
logistics, regulatory, R&D and other teams to develop and execute the
launch plan. This experience gave me an appreciation for the complexity of a
global product launch as well as the importance of strong communication and
teamwork across the key functions of the organization to ensure its
success.
How do you think Abbott's Professional Development Program will help you
accomplish your long-range career goals?
As a student researching career opportunities, my long-range career goal was
general management in a healthcare company. As it turns out, there are several
different roles at Abbott that fit this broad description. The MDP has exposed
me to many of these roles and the people that fill them, and the key skills and
experiences that have made their success possible, which in turn help me to
identify development needs and make informed career decisions. The program has
also given me the opportunity to build a strong network of friends and
colleagues at all levels of the organization that help me learn and grow as my
career progresses.
Kimberly,
Finance Professional Development Program
What excited you about Abbott's Professional Development Program?
Coming out of college, I was not entirely sure in which area of finance or
accounting I wanted to work. The Finance Professional Development Program
(FPDP) gives me a chance to explore multiple functions while also developing my
technical and analytical skills. Abbott is a global company, and the program
reflects that by offering several assignments which are based at our
international affiliate sites. Within the two years of the FPDP, I will be able
to gain knowledge and experience that may have taken many more years to
learn.
Describe a project or role you have held during your rotations so far.
My second rotation was in the Global Pharmaceutical Operations division
supporting the manufacturing plants in Asia and Latin America. In the course of
this assignment, my manager asked me and a senior analyst to travel to the
plant in Goa, India to set 2009 Standards and develop the 2009 Plan. While we
were there, we worked with employees from many areas, including manufacturing,
purchasing and HR, to ensure that the Standards and Plan were comprehensive and
as accurate as possible. It was great interacting face-to-face with people I
had previously only communicated with through email. The experience provided
insight into how manufacturing works at Abbott and gave me the opportunity to
delve into the details of cost accounting. I also learned a lot from the
cultural experience of visiting India for the first time. I am proud that my
contribution made an impact on major parts of the planning process.
How do you think Abbott's Professional Development Program will help you
accomplish your long-range career goals?
After having had four well-rounded assignments in the program, I feel
confident that I can tackle any challenge in my career at Abbott. My rotations
armed me with the experience and skill set to handle more responsibilities and
potentially a leadership role in the future. One of my goals is to have the
opportunity to live and work overseas at an international affiliate. I know
that my assignments in the UK and India prepared me to work towards
accomplishing this goal. Furthermore, the connections I have made while in the
program will continue to play an important part in my career path. My
experience as a FPDP has been fantastic and I am eager to see where my path at
Abbott will take me.
Melvin, Information
Technology Professional Development Program
What excited you about Abbott's Information Technology Professional
Development Program?
I was excited to hear that Abbott had an IT Professional Development Program
that would allow me to gain exposure to the company's various businesses, and
the broad variety of technology that supports those businesses. It was
appealing to know that I would have the opportunity to take on challenges in
roles including application development, business system analysis, and other
areas of interest. Being a recent college graduate, I am certain that the IT
PDP is exactly what I need to initiate my IT career and get the
hands-on-experience to be successful within IT at Abbott.
Describe a project or role you have held during your rotations so far.
During my first rotation, I worked as a programmer in Abbott's
Pharmaceutical Products Division. While in this rotation I had the opportunity
to work as the lead on a challenging project for its entire duration. This
project was to develop a dynamic reporting tool to be utilized for the analysis
of Abbott's products for large customers. This tool improved Abbott's ability
to track the performance of an important market – providing a great benefit to
the organization. This project allowed me to utilize my technical expertise to
provide business value; as a result I received an achievement award for my
work.
How do you think Abbott's IT Professional Development Program will help you
accomplish your long-range career goals?
My career goal is to work as a technical IT manager supporting manufacturing
or international operations. The IT Professional Development Program will
assist me in accomplishing this because it provides me with the tools and
resources to further develop my leadership, technical and interpersonal skills.
In addition, the IT PDP will help me to reach this goal by offering me a
variety of experiences working on different types of projects, in different
places. For instance, I will be traveling to the United Kingdom for my next
rotation, working as a Business System Analyst supporting international
operations. I am very excited to be a part of a program that provides me with
these diverse and challenging opportunities.
Stacie, Physician
Professional Development Program
What excited you about Abbott's Physician Professional Development
Program?
The most appealing aspect was the opportunity to learn about various roles
of a physician within the pharmaceutical industry. I was excited about gaining
a strong knowledge base in pharmacokinetics, pharmacovigilance, and drug
development while learning more about the various functional areas at Abbott. I
feel that this program gives me a wonderful opportunity to develop a core
knowledge that will be widely applicable to pharmaceutical medicine, while
gaining broad exposure to the overall process of drug development.
Describe a project or role you have held during your rotations so far.
My first rotation was in pharmacovigilance. I was involved in monitoring
adverse events during clinical trials and once a drug is approved and available
on the market, and reporting this data to regulatory agencies. I gained
first-hand experience in evaluating potential adverse drug reactions and
applying regulatory guidances applicable to pharmacovigilance. During this
rotation, I was also exposed to various approaches of assessing risks of
medications and formulating approaches to minimize this risk. As drug safety is
an important component of the overall process of drug development, the
knowledge gained during this rotation will have broad implications in my future
rotations and the area in which I choose to pursue my long-range career
goals.
How do you think Abbott's Professional Development Program will help you
accomplish your long-range career goals?
My long-term career goal would be to apply my clinical and scientific skills
in an intellectually stimulating, team environment to bring new medications to
patients and improve their medical care. Thus far, my expectations of
developing a strong basic skill set in pharmaceutical medicine have been
confirmed as I participate every day in the nuances of these core areas. One
thing that was appealing to me about working in the pharmaceutical industry is
that I enjoy working as part of a team, especially when it involves bringing a
team of experts together for a common goal. The physician PDP has core
discussions to develop skills that are important in optimizing team
interactions, leadership skills, and business understanding that are not part
of traditional medical training. Being within the PDP has opened doors to a
wide range of experts in such diverse departments as statistics and toxicology,
and has allowed me to gain broad insight into the complexity of drug
development. As I am challenged in my career beyond the PDP, I look forward to
applying these unique experiences to develop innovative approaches for patients
in a team environment.
Nick, Information
Technology Professional Program
Windows
Media QuickTime